Home improvements too expensive for over 50s

Published: 8 September 2010

More than a third of Britons aged over 50 say their house is in need of repair, with one in seven unable to afford the cost to fix it.

Research conducted by Saga Personal Finance last month revealed that women in particular are suffering financially, with one in five forced to allow their home to deteriorate, as they simply cannot afford to repair it.

Saga's poll of more than 14,000 over 50s in the UK found that 16% cite roofing as the area most in need of repair, while 13% say their drainage and guttering needs fixing.

When asked how they might pay for housing maintenance, more than one in seven respondents explained that they cannot afford it. Half of the people asked said they would use their savings and almost a third said they would turn to their regular income or pension.

More worrying is that many over 50s could be cold this winter as nearly one in ten said that their heating needs mending. London homes seem to be suffering most, with 42% of Londoners in need of housing repair, according to Saga. Meanwhile, 26% of Scottish respondents are in need of roofing repair.

Saga Group executive chairman Andrew Goodsell commented: "People are living longer which means that retirement incomes have to stretch a lot further to keep up with inflation. Many retirees find they need additional cash, whether it is to make every day life easier, fund house repairs, take the trip of a lifetime, or to contribute to care in later life."